Tall Boys: Garmin tests Mavic prototype in Qatar

American sprinter Tyler Farrar came to the Tour of Qatar with a prototype Mavic CC80 wheelset.

Mavic brought a few variations of the wheel to the team’s recent training camp in Calpe, Spain.

“Mavic had a couple of different versions, with different tensions and such,” said Garmin mechanic Tom Hopper. “These are the ones Tyler liked the best. So Mavic let us bring them along.”

Rim depth on the wheels is approximately 80mm. Mavic has had a tall-profile rim on its five-spoke wheels, which are used almost exclusively on the track. But this is the company’s tallest rim for a traditionally spoked wheel.

“If the wind dies down, which it sounds like it will later this week, they will be good for the sprints,” Hopper said.

Farrar’s competitor Mark Cavendish has often favored very tall-profile rims for flat stages; his are usually branded HighRoad.

In Qatar, Farrar ran the full set of the CC80s for the team time trial, and opted to run only the rear on stage 1, where 20mph winds buffeted the field.